Driven off the Edge
by TheClockworkFaerie
Summary: When one reaches the breaking point, the cracks can be clearly seen, no? Snapped!Mathieu Dark!Alfred No pairings.
1. Chapter 1

Driven Off the Edge

Chapter I – Breaking Point

APH Cast © Hidekaz Himaruya  
>Original Characters © Their Owners<p>

Many apologies in advance in case any characters that may be OOC.

-/-

_Once… there was a mirror. Perfectly shaped; perfect in every aspect. Not a single spider crack was upon the surface of its clear and shining image. It gave a clear double of the person who viewed themselves in it. _

_However… one day, one fatal, _crucial _event occurred… _

"I trusted you!" gunshots were heard, screams intermingling. "I trusted you – but you…" two men stood in the middle of a street, already gathering spectators. It was a clear night – and the stars twinkled merrily down upon the two warring men. "You killed her… _you killed her_!" he ran forward, gun forgotten; ready to kill the one he once called kin.

"You were an idiot, Mattie." His brother calmly stated, deftly dodging him and sending the younger man sprawling. "You didn't see what she was doing – of how she was going to ruin your country!" Another dodge, "Of how she was going to ruin everything – _everything _– that we've strived for. Their deaths meant nothing, if it meant that I was to be the Hero."

"So that's it…" Mattie, or rather, Mathieu Williams, said. He pulled a Colt .45 out, aiming at the man who looked so much like him – save for those blue eyes of his – and gripped the handle tightly. "That's it – why you killed Erin. It was out of pure spite – pure_ jealously_." He gave a weak chuckle. "She was right; I was blind to it all along… they… they were all… _Erin_. All of them – they were merely pawns in your sick game, weren't they, brother?" he cocked back the hammer, his eyes wide with a maniacal light.

"Mattie, you didn't see the signs… the dangers." Alfred said quietly. "Erin was working against you – she wanted to have the entire world fall at Ivan's knees. Couldn't you tell? Her close friendship with Lumi – it was all plotted to begin with…" Mathieu shook his head at this.

"Lumi was my friend too," tears began to fall, "And I killed her, because she knew something I didn't – and for what? For your own gain; so that you can play "hero" like we did back when we were kids?" Mathieu glared at him, the scarf that once belonged to Ivan was stained deep with the Russian's blood, and it was comfortable. It reminded him of what he had lost – of what had happened.

Reminded him before his innocence was ripped away by the man he once called 'brother'.

_**Prior**_

Erin looked outside to see the sun setting on yet another uneventful day. Nothing had changed, nothing had been altered – everything was normal. Pawsteps were heard heading towards her direction, and Erin gave a genuine smile – a rare occasion. Her cat, Mattie, was awake. "Hello there, Mr Handsome." She cooed, as the tom reached up and rubbed his head against her cupped hand. "How art thou?" she giggled at herself, and the cat merely gave another loud purr. "Look at me, talking to a cat." She shook her head. "I need to get out some." She muttered to herself, hearing the phone ring. Curious, she left her cat to play with a string of yarn that he had found to answer.

"Hello, who is this?" she asked cautiously. She was just a little paranoid if someone called her – and if _Mattie _ever called her – she might just faint.

"Hey Erin, I have a question." It was Romania, and she sounded trouble. "Did you ever happen to find my bandana? I can't find it for the life of me. I already asked Fia, and Yu, but they haven't seen it." Erin looked thoughtful.

"I can't say I did… what colour was it again?" there was a noise behind her, and she heard Mattie growl warningly. Erin looked up, her puzzlement turning into terror as she gave a quieted shriek; the intruder's hand grasped around her mouth so she couldn't be heard. She struggled, trying to break free; but the man was obviously stronger than her. _Mattie – where's Mattie? _She saw the body of her cat lying limp on his side, and gave a heartwenching wail. Her baby – her Mattie – was dead! At this, Erin tried to break free even more, terror turning into fury.

"Let me go!" she hissed, but the man put up a greater fight, snapping her neck.

"Hey – is something going on? Erin – Erin? _Erin_! Erin, pick up the phone! Hello? Hello!" her voice sounded panicky, but the person who picked up the phone wasn't Erin.

_"Heheh…"_

"Who is this? What did you do to Erin?" the person chuckled, low and soft – dangerous.

"_Erin… is dead." _The phone disconnected.

-/-

"I… I tried calling her again, but there's no answer. Yes – I told you people fifteen times: I called her to ask if she had seen my bandana, and she had asked which colour it was. I told her, but I swear that I heard scuffling and a cry! Then this deranged _psycho _gets on the phone and says that Erin's dead!" Lumi began to hyperventilate. The minute the man had disconnected the call, she had redialled the number, only to get her answer machine. She had tried multiple times to get in contact with Mathieu over the matter, but he was unreachable as well. Frustrated, she had then turned to calling the emergency agency, but they were being utterly difficult.

"What is the matter, da; trouble?" Ivan asked, looking through a window. Lumi covered the mouthpiece with her hand, giving him a short glare.

"I'm not in the mood to play twenty questions – Erin could be in danger, or worse, dead and these _idioti _are taking forever!" she seethed, as Ivan reached for the phone. She debated about it, but in the end handed the phone over.

"Listen, and listen well, yes?" he said, "We are worried for – ah, Erin was it? – And wish to know if she still lives. You will check, yes?" silence, and then a garbled answer and at this, Ivan's expression grew slightly terrifying. "You _will _check yes. Otherwise your bones will be pounded into dust." Silence; then the phone was handed back to Lumi, "All done."

"Thank you, Ivan. I guess you are useful after all."

"What do you mean?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't even start – you know what I'm talking about." Lumi put the phone back in its cradle, and gave a sigh, leaning in towards the sink. Her knuckles went white from her grip on the counter, and her shoulders began to shake. Ivan blinked, concerned.

"What's the matter, da?" He heard her sniffle, and she reached up to brush the tears away.

"I… I just got this b-bad feeling i-is all." Ivan didn't know what to do – it was times like these that he was utterly helpless at. After she was able to speak again, Lumi cleared her throat.

"I just… I just have this feeling… that… that Erin's dead."

-/-

Mathieu sighed as he sat there in an extremely uncomfortable chair, listening to reports given by the other countries. His gaze slid down the row, and landed on an empty seat. Huh, wonder where Alfred was. He was _always _at the meetings; or rather, stirring up trouble between other countries. He dragged his violet gaze away from his brother's suspiciously empty seat to the door, which had banged unceremoniously opened to show his brother standing there, looking hurried and distracted.

"Totally forgot there was a meeting today, sorry dudes!" he called, rushing over to his seat and sitting down with a _plop _into his seat. "So what'd I miss? Oh man England dude, you're scones are terrible – they taste like old couch stuffing!" he said, stuffing a scone in his mouth while scanning the documents before him quickly. Arthur sighed.

"Before you _rudely _barged in, we were debating whether or not we should go ahead and let Japan and China merge into an Empire. Only a twit like you wouldn't be bothered by it." The last part was muttered, and wasn't heard by the distracted country. Mathieu tuned the rest of them out, his thoughts wandering down paths and trail in a forest – some ending, others continuing on and on. His eyes grew heavy, and where he was seated was where the sun was hitting directly. However, a sharp and urgent knock on the door snapped him out of the warm lull the sun had given him.

"Mathieu." He looked up to see Lumi standing at the door; her hand gripping the door handle was tight. "I…" she faltered, and Ivan, who had come behind her, nudged her. "I need to tell you something. Something… something happened Erin…" Mathieu stood up; calmly walking out of the room; ignoring the looks of curiosity (and contempt?) That followed him on his way out. The look in Lumi's eyes– and the dark one in Ivan's – worried him.

What happened to Erin?

-/-

Lumi had led him to a quiet, undisturbed place, Ivan parting with them after a quick, quiet discussion with the young woman. Mathieu was confused, and worried began to settle in for the province that was under his control. Now, she sat across from him, her hands in her lap and her eyes staring directly at the floor, biting her lip so hard that it might start to bleed. The silent _tick, tick _of the clock was grating, and Mathieu was about to shake her when she finally spoke up.

"I… I called Erin today, to ask the whereabouts of my bandana, and…" He had a vague memory of it, but why was it so important? "And when I asked her, she seemed to suddenly freak out. I heard… I heard her scream, I think…" she trailed off, and shook her head abruptly, and that's when Mathieu saw the tears. "I think I heard her cry out, "Mattie!" y-you know her cat…" her voice had caught, and she hastily cleared her throat.

The _tick, tick _grew louder and louder, until it was ringing in Matheiu's ears. He stared at her like as if it were a beginning of a neverending nightmare. He wanted her to stop, to just leave it at that – why, why now torment him? "I heard the screams… and… the snap of her neck… oh Mathieu, I'm sorry to be the one to tell y-y-you, bu-but…" she trailed off, unable to control her sobbing. Ivan walked in and sat down next to her and reached to pull her into a hug, but Lumi had launched herself at Mathieu, who sat there, shell-shocked.

"S-S-She's dead, Ma-Mathieu. E-E-Erin… the-they're b-both d-d-dead; Er-Erin a-and h-her ca-cat ar-are d-d-dead."

_Not… possible… _Mathieu felt like he was falling, _Erin's… _

_ Erin's dead? _

_And the mirror began to crack._


	2. Chapter 2

Driven Off the Edge

Chapter II – A Carpet of Red

**Warning:**  
>Violence, and plenty of gore ahead. Please do not read if you have a sensible stomach. I hold no responsibility over your actions while reading this chapter.<p>

You have been warned.

-/-

_The mirror was now cracked: Spidery, thin lines covered every inch of its silver and perfect surface. The image was distorted, disfigured. _

_Demented_

_It had become Imperfect._

It had been several days since Lumi had broken the news to Mathieu. By then, Lumi had completely cut herself from the world, and openly cried about Erin's death. Mathieu had been shocked so far into grief, that he felt like it was a dream. He thought it was just a terrible nightmare – a horrifying one. Nothing could shake him out of it – and no one knew about Erin's death so far. Then somehow the news leaked out, and everyone he knew (and people he didn't even know) gave their condolences, and he numbly accepted them.

Mathieu was beyond feeling. The police had found Erin in her home, a hoodie with a crumpled up maple leaf had been covering her face, and after they had processed it and declared that it was useless to the investigation, they gave it to Mathieu. Since then, he hadn't let go of it.

"It's my fault…" he murmured, over and over. "My fault… if only… if only I had been there…" he ran the fabric through his hands, his eyes closed. His hand closed around a piece of paper, and he pulled it out, curious. It was just a scrap, probably ripped from a notebook, but the scrawl… he narrowed his eyes, what did Ivan want with Erin? He read it once, twice, and until the words began to blur, but Mathieu had memorised them by heart.

_ "I killed her for information that she would not give. _

_ Sorry, da. But it had to be done. _

_ - Ivan, Representative of Russia"_

"What…" Mathieu whispered hoarsely, after several minutes of sitting alone. "What… Ivan… _Ivan_ killed Erin…? But…" at this, his mind began to spiral out of control. No one could be trusted – not even Lumi. Not even himself – how could he? When the one person who was under his protection was murdered? A dark look had entered his eyes; something that had been buried a long time ago – something _wild _–had been unlocked. He gripped the hoodie tightly, and gave a psychotic chuckle, and Kumajirou hid from his owner, terrified. Mathieu stumbled out of the room, delirious; searching for something.

_All of them – every single one – they will pay. They will pay for taking Erin from me!_

_ … And Ivan will be last. I will kill Lumi first, to make him understand the pain – to feel the raw _agony _of losing someone._

Mathieu headed out of his home the note clenched tightly in his grip; the hoodie lying forlorn and forgotten on the floor.

-/-

Lumi, for the sake of being alone, had locked herself inside her attic. For once in her life, she didn't want to be bothered, so she locked her back door, locked all the doors inside her home, with the curtains drawn, and then locked herself inside her attic. Tears still fell from her cheeks to the ground, but she made no move to wipe them away. Her friend had died – murdered. No one knew who it was, only that there was no motive. Nothing was stolen, nothing was damaged… and the strangest thing is that no one found a note or even a single fingerprint. Everything had been wiped down – including the light sockets. It was insane – who in their right mind would kill Erin? She was harmless, shy – hell, Erin hardly ever got angry!

But what troubled Lumi the most, was how Mathieu was handling it. No one had heard from the man since Lumi had broken the news to him, and she had watched him get up despondently and just… walked way as if he were in a trance. It scared her; she was worried that he had just… vanished inside himself. She had mentioned to Ivan before she had left the conference that she had unwillingly interrupted that something was wrong with the whole incident.

There was something… off about it.

Lumi gave a sniff, and reached for another tissue. Giving a shaky sigh, she shook herself. _Comon Lumi, _she berated herself,_ there is no time to be feeling sorry! Mathieu needs his friends now more than ever! _Her gaze trailed off to the window, and stared at the sunshine pouring in. _How can the world be so cheerful… when it lost someone so unique… someone so caring? _Another shaky sigh and Lumi stood up, rubbing her cheeks. _Well, I have to snap out of it! The others can mourn – but I have to stay strong! _She gave another shake, seemingly waking up from a bad nightmare. Forcing a grin on her face and her spirits up, Lumi unlocked the door; carefully descending the steps of the attic.

She was blissfully unaware of the visitor downstairs – a _deadly_ visitor.

-/-

It was the sight of the door slightly ajar that worried Ivan.

Lumi never – _ever _– had her door open, even by a crack. Yes, it was usually unlocked, and he wouldn't be alarmed it _was _locked. However, with the door hanging slightly ajar and off its hinge – it alarmed him. Carefully, Ivan shifted so that he had an easy reach of the TT-30 pistol that he had concealed under his coat. Normally, he wouldn't be carrying it, but due to recent times with Japan and China merging into an Empire – one always had to be careful. Neighbours could easily turn into enemies on a turn of a dime.

"Lumi, you are here, yes?" he called out, and not receiving an answer, panic began to flare along with warning signs. But he pushed the panic back – he couldn't let it get the best of him. "Answer da; so I will not shoot." Again, he received no answer. Slowly, Ivan crept over to the door, pushing it out of the way, noting the smear of semi-dried blood that was against the wood. "You are here, yes? Answer me please."

No answer.

"Coming in, yes; do not shoot if you are armed." He announced, and drawing and gripping the TT-30 tightly, Ivan proceeded to push the door out of the way – dropping the gun and staggering back; his face pale. "Wh…" he couldn't speak; what he saw left him speechless.

Beyond the loosely hanging door was utter chaos and destruction. Curtains were torn, furniture damaged – a vase that had been holding white lilies (now stained a blood red) lay on the floor, shattered as the petals seemed torn from the stem. Blood was smeared everywhere, signs of struggle were everywhere along with slashes of some sort of knife were upon the back of the door. There were bullets still embedded in the walls, a picture knocked off its hanger. Several puddles of blood could be seen and a soft gurgling – almost like someone struggling to breathe – sound could be heard from inside.

Ivan felt sick – there was no way a person survived that much carnage and destruction.

"Lumi – you are here yes? Answer me now!" panic had settled in, and Ivan shoved the door out of the way; forgetting about the weapon. He had to know – he had to know if she was still alright. He heard the sounds of his boots walking through the blood and almost gagged at the smell – bleach and blood mixed together (almost like someone tried to clean up) was overpowering his sense of smell. He put a hand to the wall, only to pull back in disgust as his glove soaked in the liquid that stained the walls.

_Tell me she is alright – yes. _He prayed, even though he knew it was futile. There was no way someone survived this… this _monstrosity_. The sounds were getting closer, and everywhere he went, he just saw more destruction. Slash marks upon the wall, smashed picture frames… glass glittering in the dull weakening sunlight. Ivan proceeded to the kitchen, where it looked like a tornado had swept through it. The phone was disconnected, and on the floor, he saw something that drained the rest of the colour from his face.

A hand that seemed to be lying lifelessly on the floor; a puddle of blood had formed around it. Rushing forward, Ivan dropped all caution, dropping on his knees next to the young woman he was searching for.

Lumi was barely recognizable. There were multiple lacerations everywhere on her body, the blood seeping through her clothes. A gunshot or two could be seen, and her throat looked like it had been slit – but not to where it instantly killed her. Her wrists were oddly bent, as if they had been broken. He gingerly lifted her head, and his contact caused her eyes to flutter open – only to close.

There was no recognition from woman that lay before him.

Quickly, Ivan looked around for the phone; to find the receiver laying several paces away. It seemed like an hour, to dial the number and then wait for someone to answer. Finally, someone picked up.

"Hello, what's your emergency?" the operator said in their monotone voice. Ivan was irked at them – this was an emergency and they weren't even making a big deal!

"Yes, someone is hurt – very hurt."

"How hurt sir?"

"She –" he steadied himself, "Badly hurt yes. Many slashes and a gunshot; Lumi is barely breathing. Please – send help now." Ivan was about to hang up the phone, but the operator was asking questions.

"Sir – sir stay on the line; is she breathing?"

"Yes – she is breathing."

"She is awake? Make sure she stays awake!" Ivan tapped her cheek gently.

"Lumi, Lumi wake up yes – you need to wake up." Her eyes fluttered open again, and seemed disoriented before closing her eyes again.

"We're sending help right away – keep her awake." The operator reminded him, before the line was cut off.

"Lumi – Lumi; wake up yes. Please, wake up." Ivan begged, tapping her cheek; feeling so lost in the world – wondering just who in the world could do this to someone who was so innocent.

_Destroyed _


	3. Chapter 3

Driven Off the Edge

Chapter III – Death's Arrival

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I know that I said that I wouldn't beg for them, but I know that there are a ton of people reading this story; but I have yet to see a single review from you people. Perhaps I should just stop updating until I receive at least five reviews?

-/-

_The mirror is distorted. What was once pure is now defiled. _

_Tainted_

It was still the same.

Even after a little past a month and Lumi still hadn't wakened. At first, the doctors were certain that she would wake up within at least a minimum of a few days – but then the days turned into weeks; the weeks finally turned into a month with no change. They had done what they could to reduce the amount of scars that she would have afterwards as there were many deep lacerations that Ivan hadn't seen when he had stumbled upon her wrecked home. But the doctors still had hope, and dutifully checked on her each day – as one would with a Russian breathing down their backs with the threat of death if they didn't.

It was such on a day like this – the sky was split with clear blue on one, dark grey/purple/blue storm clouds on the other – which one of the doctors had chanced upon a stranger standing at their patient's bedside. He looked distraught, his glasses looked like they had cracked slightly and his hair was askew. They didn't speak to him – as they were certain he wasn't family, when he looked up at their entrance.

"Please," he asked quietly, "How long has she been like this?" the doctor – who was on duty barely glanced at the man, writing things down and checking the machines.

"For at least a month – are you family?" he asked. The stranger shook his head no, and looked absolutely terrified.

"I'm her friend – or at least, I think I am. I don't know anymore…" he muttered the last part, earning a discreet, but wary look from the doctor. "But is she alright? I heard from Ivan that she was in the hospital because someone attacked her – has the person been caught yet? Will she be ok?" his violet gaze seemed gentle, the doctor thought, but there was something… off about him.

At last, the doctor replied, "Only time will tell. Right now, she seems to be trapped in her mind." He finished and signed the sheet, before returning the clipboard back on its hook. "Now, if you'll excuse me…" he left.

Mathieu sighed and stared at his friend's unconscious frame before shifting his gaze to the window besides him, _First Erin… now you too, Lumi? _Another sigh and he looked outside to the darkening sky.

_Is everyone I know going to die? _

-/-

It was almost time for the evening shift to begin at the hospital when Ivan arrived.

Normally, they wouldn't allow visitors at that time of night, but when they tried to stop him the first time, the nurses on duty at the time swore that they could feel murderous intent aimed at them as he walked past them. The sound of his boots falling was the only noise in this part of the hospital; the shift change had just started so there was hardly a soul in sight.

Pausing before Lumi's room, his mind had gone back to the meeting. Everyone seemed nervous – jittery. As if they were going to be next by the unknown attacker. Ivan also had noticed the look of heavy contempt – and almost a dark hatred? – From the representative of Canada. As if the representative had done a wrong against Mathieu – which he couldn't think of one at the moment. He had been too busy worrying about Lumi – and had sent Natalia to check on her. But that was ten hours ago; and he hadn't seen his obsessive little sister since.

Then again, he remembered that Natalia never really did like Lumi – and was probably sulking somewhere. Ivan sighed, and entered the room – finding it exactly as he had left it. Lumi still lay in bed, unmoving and eyes closed, the machines helping her live. The sky outside was dark, with flickers of light every so often. He sat down in the chair next to her, and enclosed her small hand in his. "Wake up, yes." He asked. He wanted to see her smile – to see her eyes flash with either laughter or anger. It pained him – it pained _everyone _– to see such an energetic person lying so uselessly like this. "Please…" a crack of thunder, a flash of lightning, and the _pitter, patter _of the rain hitting the window was soon heard.

"Please, wake up yes. Wake up, Lumi."

"So, you came after all… heh… this'll beat having to track you down." Ivan looked up to find Mathieu standing on the opposite side of the bed; a Colt .45 in hand; aiming at the floor. He also noticed that the Canadian was standing next to the support system that kept Lumi alive – and made a move for the TT-30 hidden in his jacket. "Ah, ah, ah," Mathieu aimed the Colt at him, making a move with the gun for Ivan to released the TT-30. "We don't want that… or the machines might accidentally _break_." the Russian narrowed his eyes; but moved his hand back to clasp Lumi's tightly. He knew that the Canadian was serious and would follow through his threat if provoked. Calmly, Ivan looked up at the unstable man, determined to keep the situation under control. If something happened – then Lumi would definitely get in the crossfire.

"What do you want, yes? I did nothing to you." A twitch; and a flicker of anger went through Mathieu's eyes.

"Oh really – then why did you kill Erin; why did you kill her?"

"I didn't kill Erin, da. I was with Lumi – if you recall." A crazy smile had emerged from within; and Mathieu let out a loose, insane laugh. While he was laughing, Ivan quickly scanned the room – noting the blood on the Canadian's cheek and the pool surrounding him meant that he had killed someone… but who was it?

"No, no, no, _no_. You did it Ivan – you killed Erin. I have proof. Oh yes – I have proof. Proof that you killed her – and for what: information – what kind of information that Erin could _possibly _have?" Mathieu was getting angrier and angrier, and again, Ivan reached for the TT-30, only to have the Colt shoved back into his face. "Don't go anywhere near that gun, or this bullet will be lodged into your skull. I won't miss – and that's a promise. Just ask Natalia, she was a very good target to practise with. Oh wait – she's dead. Tried to stop me from getting close to Lumi, but failed in the end. She's somewhere out there," Mathieu waved sporadically towards the window, lightning flashing once more with a rumble of thunder. "In the woods; I didn't bury her – saw no need. I bet the animals would _love _the taste of human flesh, no?"

"Are you the one who attacked Lumi?" Ivan asked, earning another deranged smile.

"Of course – but she put up a struggle." His gaze darkened as another rumble of thunder could be heard, "Tried to protect herself, tried to call the police – but I got her before she could even get to the phone. Cut her up into little pieces, or tried too. She was being stubborn, hitting me, screaming – it was all too messy. But now… but now I have a way to put things right. She deserves death – she helped… she helped kill Erin…" he faltered, and Ivan could see the shell of a confused and upset man underneath the instability.

"You are crazy, yes! Lumi would never kill Erin – never!"

"It doesn't matter anymore… doesn't matter." Ivan, ignoring all precautions, gripped the TT-30 and brought it out to face Mathieu. "Doesn't matter…"

"You are insane, yes. You are grieving. It is natural. Now get away from machine, yes." The reaction that Ivan was looking for wasn't what came.

"Insane – no, no, not _insane_; that's impossible… impossible. I'm not insane…" a wild, unrecognisable look had come into Mathieu's eyes. He reached over to the machine with the Colt, and fired several shots into it. Fizzling could be heard from the machine as the support system died; Ivan panicked.

"No, no!" he attacked Mathieu, leaping across the bed. "You idiot yes; what did you do? What did you do? She's going to die yes, die! Lumi – Lumi wake up!" he began to frantically shake the young woman, who was now gasping for breath. Mathieu stood there with a silly little smile on his face.

"Now… now you know how I've suffered…" he whispered after a period of silence, to which Ivan began to openly weep. Mathieu hummed a silly tune to himself as Ivan began to lose all comprehension as to what happened. As the last breathes came from the unconscious woman in the bed, Mathieu gave a silly smile – one of satisfaction and happiness.

"Now you know the agony of losing someone so precious…"

_The mirror now is forever beyond redemption. _


	4. Chapter 4

Driven Off the Edge

Chapter IV – Blurred Lines

-/-

_The lines between reality and mind are being blurred. The mirror is beyond repair – soon, all will be lost. _

_Forever vanished into the threads of time, _

_Sewn together by Fate _

"So I die now, yes? Is that what you wanted?" Ivan asked, as Mathieu shook his head no; the chaotic smile now gone.

"I'm going to let you live… so you can suffer – suffer as I have. So _you_ can feel how it's like – losing someone so dear and precious." Mathieu moved to leave, the storm still brewed outside, but what he set out to do was done. However, before he could leave – he heard the _click_ of the TT-30's hammer being pulled back; and knew it was aimed at him, "Shooting me won't bring her back… just as shooting you won't bring Erin back; you're desperate, aren't you Ivan? Desperate enough to kill me; as if you think that'll bring your precious Lumi back?"

"Shut up, yes! You asked why I killed Erin, da?" this piqued Mathieu's interest, and he turned around to face the Russian; eyes narrowed with hate.

"So you admit to it, right? You admit to killing her!" the pent up rage that had been caged was threatening to wreak havoc again. "You admit it – you killed Erin, and in return, I killed Lumi; how ironic – such a beautiful, deadly revenge!" he began to laugh; a pure demented laugh. "You did it – you killed Erin, you did!"

"I did not, yes." Ivan said finally after the crazed laughter, his expression calm; but in the inside, he wanted to throttle the man senseless – how could he not see the truth? He didn't kill Erin, and what Mathieu had done was murder! "I did not kill Erin; what would I gain? I gain nothing… I lose nothing… but…" he lowered his weapon. "I… I lost someone… two people… I lost…" he looked up at Mathieu with renewed hatred. "A war is what you want, da? A war is what you get. Let this be the beginning of it." He made his way past Mathieu and began to walk back the way he came; only to be stopped by a quiet sound – like someone was choking on their own saliva.

"You… _you_ didn't kill Erin? There wasn't any information you wanted?"

"I told you, yes. I want no information – what would I do with information? No – when your Erin was killed, I was with Lumi, yes." Ivan continued on, "Someone else is pulling the strings, da. Someone else… closer; I have had no use for Erin – needed no information. Watch your back, da. Someone is against you, yes."

And with that, Ivan Braginski left the hospital, leaving a confused man behind; his weapon hanging limply by his side as he realised what he had done.

-/-

"You see Alfred… it was you who condemned them – it was you." Mathieu looked at his brother – such a mirror image they are; easily confused for one another. The difference lay in the eyes. Mathieu with his violet colour; blue for Alfred. "You were the one who murdered Erin… murdered Lumi. It was all because of you. And for what?" he looked at his brother with such anger and sadness mixed together.

"For what, you ask?" Alfred asked calmly, his American 180 at his side. "It's simple, Mattie. It's very simple." His blue eyes seemed… different. They weren't the lively idiotic look that many people pinned him with. They were darker; a hint of malice was hidden in them – ready to be unleashed. "They were in the way. You were getting too independent – too _close_. You were pushing me away – all I wanted was just some attention. I wanted your approval!" he threw the rifle in his hands to the ground; disgusted. "But you ignored me. Ignored me, letting others belittle me! I thought we were brothers – and brothers shouldn't let the other suffer! You of all people should know that!"

Silence fell, safe for the sound of rain; each brother silently recollecting memories when it was just them – the two of them against the world. They were there for one another. When Alfred had gone schizophrenic, it was Mathieu who had pulled him out from the dark. When Mathieu fell ill, it was Alfred who had nursed him back to health. Even now – amidst the tensions with Japan and China merging into an empire, the deaths of fellow representatives – the brothers were once again alone. It was Mathieu who broke the silence.

"That doesn't account for Erin's death. What did she do to deserve it?" Alfred tensed, and shook his head; sending water droplets into the air like fallen butterflies.

"She was going to destroy everything."

"What does that mean? How does any of this connect to Erin; or to everyone else for that matter? You aren't making any sense Alfred." Mathieu stared at his brother in anguish. It wasn't making sense – why? Why did he kill Erin, just to play hero? Or was it because of something deeper – something that he couldn't comprehend? He fell to the ground; tears of both sadness and frustration fell.

_None of this makes sense…_

_ What… what is going on…?_

-/-

Arthur sighed as he filed away the last of the paperwork from the meeting. _Two deaths in the space of a month… what's the world coming to?_ He looked outside to where the sun was shining with a cheerful spring breeze toying with the leaves. Ever since Erin's death, there had been a void that seemed to just crop up in his heart and wouldn't leave. He regretted not paying attention to her – he regretted a lot of things, but Erin… neglecting her was a majour one.

Arthur shook his head at the attempt to clear bad memories, but they clung stubbornly like cobwebs. He remembered when Luminita had barged into the meeting (rather rudely, he had thought) and had taken Mathieu with her; but what had alarmed the Englishman was what he overheard.

_Erin dead – impossible!_ Arthur had thought; and after the meeting he cornered the young representative, demanding for the truth. Only the Englishman had earned something he hadn't been prepared for, the waterworks. She even broke down and through broken sobs she had explained what he had already heard: no more Erin.

With another sigh of sadness, Arthur remembered how he had shook the Romanian until his vision had blurred, demanding that she was lying and that Erin couldn't _possibly _be dead. It was only the silence from the Romanian that fuelled the suffering. Afterwards, when Arthur was secure in his own home did the Englishman brought out the brandy. He needed it – badly.

His only daughter was dead at the hands of an unknown killer that could still on the loose. Attending the funeral was hard, but not as hard as it was for Mathieu. They had to give him tranquillizers – along with Luminita and himself – to help them get through the service. After that, the three of them had been helped getting to the car by Alfred and Heracles respectively.

A few weeks later, Arthur heard from Heracles who was speaking with Kiku that Lumi had been attacked by the same person who had killed Erin. Of course, it was just speculation, but the Greek seemed angered about it, which was different from his indifference and sleepy nature.

Both of the Romanian's wrists had been broken, with multiple and deep lacerations with a gunshot in her side. The trauma had been so much to her brain that she had been trapped in a coma for little over a month; but the doctors were optimistic that she would survive.

_So much for that bloody idea, _Arthur thought, brushing off any lingering imaginary dust from his black suit. He hadn't thought that he was going to wear it again – and so soon. Now that Luminita had died, everyone was on edge – waiting for the killer to strike again. Somehow everyone had gotten it in their head that there was a person out with a grudge and was picking the representatives off one by one; and initially thought that Ivan was behind it… until Luminita had died. _Funny, _he thought sardonically, _the two people who are practically invisible other than what's-his-name are the ones who are missed the most. _He looked outside where Ivan stood, looking different with a black suit and no scarf.

_Everyone suffers._

_Everything will become unravelled, and the mirror will eventually shatter into a million pieces. _


	5. Chapter 5

Driven Off the Edge

Chapter V – The End of Tragedy's Sanity

**I do not promote any form of violence or deaths****. **

**I am not to be held responsible for the actions of the readers. **

There will be a special note to the readers on my profile!

-/-

_The mirror has passed the point of no return.  
>Turning the sane into the insane,<br>what a terrible but lovely end to this tragedy._

It was after the funeral services of the Romanian representative – well, former. There was a new one now who was acting as a stand in until they could appoint an official one; his name was Gavril Ionescu. He didn't seem the type that would be intimidated easily, and was quick to point the blame of the previous representative's death to the Russians – who of course denied everything. What would anyone gain from the death of a representative that they were no longer connected with?

Absolutely nothing

Ivan had withdrawn from the world. He would attend meetings, but was a former shell of himself: no longer cheerful or tormenting other representatives; never uttered a word unless he was asked to speak. There were whispers and rumours floating around that he was the one who had killed the previous Romanian and Belarusian representatives. But of course, the body of Natalia was never recovered, and so soon those died away, after they saw how stricken the tall Russian was.

So the killer was still at large, and the only one who knew who it was could not speak out. Ivan, refused to listen to concerned people, and ignored Mathieu's desperate, half insane, pleas to forgive him. How could he, when the one he cared about most was gone forever? How could he, when he knew that everything that had happened was a farce: Lumi was laid with the blame, and everyone involved had been impacted by the consequences.

It was a bleak day when Mathieu had decided to visit Ivan. The sky was dark with clouds, heavy with the promise of rain. Thunder rolled ominously in the dark, lightening flashed in the far off distance. Yet the man paid no heed to it. Instead, he continued on, muttering to himself, a Colt 45 gripped in his hand tightly as he rounded the bend in the road and came upon a spacious, but unkempt home.

There were broken windows, some missing the pane of glass, could be seen, glass littering the ground. It seemed that no one had been home for a while, but the man knew he was there.

"What do you want, yes? Take more you will?" asked a harsh, grating voice from the shadows of the house. Mathieu looked around curiously, trying to find the man. "Go away – nothing more to take… nothing more…" However, Mathieu took no inclination to leave, which seemed to further infuriate the Russian. "Lumi is dead, yes! Because of you; what more do you want?"

"You know exactly what I want Ivan," The Canadian spoke calmly. "You must disappear; you already know too much – you've _seen _too much. You have to die."

"You killed innocent people – people who are blamed for everything _you've _done!" Ivan rasped; the violet gaze that raked the surroundings was desolate and dark. "Leave now – I keep peace for sake of memory."

Mathieu scoffed. "Doesn't matter anymore; the point is that_ you know too much_." He raised the Colt 45 up and cocked back the hammer, aiming at the man's temple. "Now, close your eyes and it won't hurt a bit." Ivan merely stared at him; silent but cold and deadly fury lurked inside. Mathieu knew it – but for Erin's sake, he had to kill the Russian.

"Don't care anymore yes. Just go. I die alone – leave."

"Sorry, no can do." Mathieu's eyes began to alight with a strange glow.

"You've taken more than you should, yes. Now, nothing matters." Metal flashed, and Mathieu stared at the TT-30 that had been flung onto the patio table in front of him. "However, I will not die without a fight. Lumi would want that, da."

"Oh, then it won't take long to do so. All I have to do is pull the trigger." Mathieu aimed, but Ivan merely closed his eyes; waiting. "Well, any last words… or are you a coward?"

"Watch your words, da." Ivan had picked up a sharp piece of glass, and that's when Mathieu noticed that the ground surrounding the man was littered with broken panes from the window and from empty водка bottles that were strewn around. Dead sunflowers were scattered at Ivan's feet, along with a pile of letters that were burn or torn.

"You will fight defenseless, Ivan? How strange – do you surely want to die unarmed?" Mathieu taunted, hoping to get more of a rise. "Lumi would be ashamed of your cowardice."

That was the last straw.

"We play by my rules now, yes. Throw your gun and listen." Mathieu, curious and against all will, put the Colt 45 on the ground and kicked it away from him. Thoughtfully, Ivan began to circle the table, Mathieu automatically mirroring his movement; not trusting him. "My rules… my rules now…"

"Get to the point!" Mathieu snapped, already annoyed. A swift, but nonetheless deadly glare was sent his way.

"Simple yes; very simple," Ivan murmured quietly, coming to a standstill with Mathieu following suit. "Nine rounds, nine chances, yes. Whoever wins is left alive." He picked up the TT-30, and gave Mathieu a foreboding smile while holding out the gun. "You take first, da?"

Mathieu didn't even flinch. "I will win this game," he mused calmly. Ivan didn't even look infuriated; he looked tired of everything.

Ivan nodded quietly. "Fight to the very end; then true killer is revealed."

-/-

Mathieu calmly walked away from Ivan's house, humming a silly tune with his Colt 45 safely hidden, the scarf that the Russian cherished so dearly was wrapped securely around his neck. It was comfy, even snuggable. He knew that the authorities would never find him – Ivan was holding the gun last, and the evidence will be lost in the rain. Mathieu smiled to no one but himself, pleased, but soon the smile vanished as another feeling settled in.

He wasn't satisfied. Something was missing – something… suddenly he stopped, and looked at the blood on his hand. Still staring, he raised it to his face, and touched his cheek gingerly.

"Ivan wasn't lying…" Mathieu whispered to himself; as if he had just woken up, "They… they were all innocent…" he felt sick, and barely made it to the bushes before his stomach heaved. Two – no _three _– innocent people were murdered by his hands. He could feel the blood on them; the invisible noose began to tighten around his neck. Anguish cries that were only of his imagination began to scream at him – Lumi, Natalia, Ivan… they all cried out for his death – for his blood.

"Go away!" he screamed aloud, "I didn't mean to do it – I didn't mean too!" he covered his ears, vainly trying to block out the screams when all around him was silent. Suddenly, the screams and visions of blood and the people he murdered disappeared, leaving him alone in the forest – the rain soaking him to the bone. He opened an eye warily, and cautiously lowered his hands from his ears. _Who… who killed her? _Mathieu asked himself, knowing that no one would answer.

His time was almost up.

-/-

So, Mattie, tell me," Alfred stood in the rain thoughtfully, eyeing the scarf that wound itself around Mathieu's neck. The Canadian winced at the usage of his name, but didn't speak. "How did you get Ivan's scarf, eh?" Mathieu frowned at the Russian's name, and shook his head sadly; his eyes glazed.

"Doesn't matter – not anymore," he whispered.

Alfred seemed confused. "What do you mean it doesn't matter anymore? I thought you were the one who was giving me grief about everything!"

"That's… not what I meant." Mathieu said; raising his head only a little for Alfred to see the glazed, psychotic look. "You… you are the reason for everything that's gone wrong."

"What do you mean?"

Mathieu gave a small smile, "Lumi… Ivan… Natalia… they're… no… _you're _all nothing but ghosts now…" a sad smile graced Mathieu's face, and without warning the Colt 45 in his hand was raised and aimed at Alfred, who at the same time aimed with his American 180. "And so are you, dear brother."

Echoes of two different shots were heard in the silence of the drizzling rain, before fading back into silence once more. Soon the thuds of bodies hitting the ground lifelessly could be heard; muffled by the sound of the thunder followed by the lightning.

_Shattered into a million pieces  
>The Mirror is no longer<br>as the Raven cries its lonely call to the World. _


	6. Chapter 6

Driven off the Edge 

Chapter VI – A Cycle Anew

Readers, you get a bonus chapter since I couldn't bear to abandon the idea that had popped in my head after I wrote the fifth chapter. :)

-/-

_Years later, the mirror is whole again. _

"…attie. Mattie." Mathieu blinked his eyes open to see Erin sitting next to him, concerned. "You were muttering in your sleep," she explained. "I thought you were having a nightmare, but when I tried to wake you up; you wouldn't let go of my hand." She indicated to where he was holding her hand and quickly released it.

"S-Sorry," he stammered. "Yes, I did have a nightmare. It was weird; like as if I had no motion over what I was doing." He clutched to a stuffed polar bear that he had since childhood. His eyes glazed as he recalled the dream. "It was horrible…"

"What was it about?" Erin asked, curious, but then retracted the statement, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want too." She flushed and quickly looked outside the window, where she could spot the Romanian representative in front of the greenhouse. Briefly, Erin wondered if anyone else had gotten their memory back. The only people she knew that had their memory was Alfred (whom she was still very wary of with a good reason), Mathieu, Ivan, and a handful of others. She shivered slightly, even though the room was warm.

"It was…" Mathieu began, but trailed off. He cleared his throat and started over. "It's nothing – honest Erin. Just another weird nightmare; I swear I'm okay." He added, seeing her worried glance.

"If you say so…" Erin wasn't convinced.

"Look, I'm not going to kill anyone this time around, if that's what you're wondering." Mathieu muttered irritably. "I've learned from that mistake – honest."

"What about your brother?" Mathieu sighed, knowing full well why Erin never spoke his name aloud. "Does _he _remember anything?"

"Only bits and pieces; I honestly don't think he'll try anything this time around."

Erin wasn't convinced. "How do you know that he won't?"

"Because he's on medication now; father won't let him go to an institution and we can't afford to just keep him home. He's also being watched, just in case he slips back." Mathieu reassured her. Silence fell between the pair, quiet and content. They watched Ivan sneak up behind Lumi and spray her with water – causing her to shriek. She turned around and threw some fertilizer at him; only to miss and hit Yu instead – which then caused a three way battle between the three. The commotion soon drew Yao into the fray and soon was quickly halted when the gym trainer, Ludwig, was smacked in the face with soil. That's when they fled, Yu and Yao went one way, Ivan and Lumi the other.

Finally, Erin spoke up. "Did you know that Lumi has asthma? Ivan had found an inhaler with her name on it." Mathieu felt uncomfortable; and instantly Erin grabbed his hand and squeezed affectionately. "It's not your fault – you didn't cause it."

"How do you know?" Mathieu said wretchedly, "You were dead at the time if you remember –" he fell silent, staring at the floor. "… Sorry."

"I know." Erin murmured, as her cat (which was also named "Mattie") walked in and leaped into Mathieu's lap. They stared out onto the school's grounds, silently enjoying the other's company. They saw their English professor walk towards the gates – only to be stopped by his fiancée, the head cook. Ivan had shown up again; this time quietly talking (presumably telling a joke) to Lumi about something, who had giggled. Erin finally gave a sigh, looked over and smiled again at Mathieu.

"I know."

_The Cycle continues._


End file.
